Work flow for CSRs / Estimating / Job prep

[Camera Ready]

I'm new to the forums. Looking for advice to see how other shops operate on the front lines with clients, by timely getting out job quotes and processing orders. I had been working as a csr/estimator for the same company for about 14 years, seeing a steady growth during that time. Then almost 2 years ago had been promoted to manager of print services / estimating, around the same time we switched from a privately owned company to being part of a larger corporation. We are a medium sized shop of about 60 staffers. My department is just myself and 2 others and one outside sales rep. I have found that the workload has steadily increased and my team has been really busting their butts trying to stay on top of things but I'm seeing a rise in wait times for quotes, errors on quotes, reprints due to in-house errors - which I feel is all due to the workloads and duties for our department. Basically, aside from the outside sales rep, there is the 3 of us that handle all inside sales and all estimating duties, as well as job prep (prior to going to pre-press), and basically follow the job from start to finish. The employers I work for would much rather I work with what I have rather than bring in another person to help take some of the pressure off.

What I would like to know is how other shops operate, what works for them. What staffing numbers do you have. I have been trying to force the issue of hiring another member for strictly estimating, taking some of those duties away from the CSRs so that they can focus more attention directly to the client and job orders.

Or, maybe someone has a better workflow suggestion. Currently, each member (including myself) operate independently of one another. We each have our own client base, handle incoming calls, counter, emails, do our own estimates and outsourcing. The team will come to me for final decisions, advice, and customer complaints of course. We have spread sheets to show current job orders and completed estimates, that helps me with things in progress but I am wanting to know about things that are not in progress....meaning job orders that have been placed, but have yet to be processed by CSR, or quote requests that have come in but haven't been processed. I thought maybe a spread sheet for that but starting to feel inundated with spread sheets..... in a busy shop, what works for you?

I'm a new manager and still a bit green and looking for some helpful advice. Would appreciate any helpfull tips and suggestions.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I no longer work in a print shop, however I have over 25 years experience from the front lines. I currently work in service, training and support for a vendor (I am not in sales). One of the products that I specialise in is a print MIS solution. MIS/ERP/Print Management etc. generally starts at estimating, however it extends well beyond getting a quote out. Every “pain point” that you mention above can be simplified by a competent MIS solution. For example, using a “quote template” for common everyday work, an estimator could have a standard quote emailed to a prospective customer in a minute or less. They could also customise a standard quote template and send that off in 2-3 minutes. A brand new quote from scratch could take anywhere from 1-5 minutes, depending on the job and complexity. Raising an order from a quote and producing a job bag for production? Less than a minute.

From your post, it does not sound as if you have looked at a dedicated print management system before. A good place to start looking is here:

Accura Overview - The Print MIS Solution of Choice for over 600 Companies

Accura - MIS Buyer’s Guide


Stephen Marsh

 

[Camera Ready]

Thanks Stephen,

We actually do have a pretty good system in place. We use ePace, but not to it's full potential. Currently we are only using it's estimating packet, but I know it is a way more diverse program that can do all the things you had mentioned. Unfortunately, the rest of our operations operate on a different system for accounting and billing and never the two should meet. Which is very unfortunate. I would definitely like to evolve and use ePace to it's fullest potential for all things from estimating, follow ups, job orders, job tracking, and billing. It would give us a more accurate and transparent tracking system. But some departments are stuck in their ways and not ready for change - and honestly, bringing over all those accounts into another accounting system may be a daunting task with plenty of room for error. So for now, I will tinker with the estimating aspect as well as I can, starting with the templates you had mentioned.

The real problem is time management and maybe a bit of under staffing. Could use another half person in here to take the edge off. I have a team that is working hard, in a very busy environment and sometimes a request can fall off to the side and put on the back burner while everything else is piling in. Those are the ones that aren't on the radar, and by the time I hear about it, it's too late to get the bid in, or the customer is upset, or whatever.

I guess I was hoping that maybe there was some kind of "quote que" system in place that someone might be using. This way, the moment a request comes in it is added to the list for processing. Then the whole estimating team is on board and can see what is completed and not completed and can lend a hand where needed, and most of all I can keep an eye on those ones that fall on the back burner and address them.

Thanks for the advice. Will put some of that to use soon.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I guess I was hoping that maybe there was some kind of "quote que" system in place that someone might be using. This way, the moment a request comes in it is added to the list for processing. Then the whole estimating team is on board and can see what is completed and not completed and can lend a hand where needed, and most of all I can keep an eye on those ones that fall on the back burner and address them.

I can’t comment on ePace, however any good print MIS should be able to reduce or remove the pain points that you mention above. Firstly, a good print management system will help you get accurate quotes out faster, allowing you to produce more quotes, faster. It is not just about producing a quote, you also need to know instantly what the status of a quote is (pending, won, lost, incomplete). You will also need to have a good automated follow-up process to track how long a quote has been out there, who should follow it up and the dollar value of the work that is awaiting acceptance. Ideally this would all happen from the GUI of the software, as well as additionally by running text reports from the database.

The Accura MIS CRM module has a nice feature called “Request for Quote”. The RFQ feature will allow a CSR, salesperson, personal assistant, office junior or other staff member with access to create a “shell” of a quote. This contains all of the basic information of a quote (who the client is and what they require), without having to know how to build the underlying workings of an estimate (sort of like a notepad). This is then assigned to an estimator for turning into a true quote, all they have to do is add in the quote workings and email off the final quote. Estimators can easily see their specific pending RFQ assignments, or view and action all/any pending RFQ. Using the MS Outlook bi-directional integrated Accura CRM system, the estimator can also have the RFQ assigned as a to-do task, over and above using the native RFQ features.

Print MIS/ERP systems can often have a lot of features/power and to get the most out of an investment one may need training or refresher training. From my training/support role, I would hate to see a client invest in a MIS solution and then only use 5% of the investment.



Stephen Marsh